Apparatus for filling hard gelatin capsules or the like with powder

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for filling gelatin capsules or the like is provided with a unified (single) closed unit. A powder dosing disc and a filling material container are combined within the unified closed unit. The filling material container is adapted to hold powder to be placed in the capsules. The powder dosing disc is cyclically rotatable and has a plurality of bores therein. A plurality of tamping dies are operatively arranged to press powder into the bores in the dosing disc. Means are provided for holding bottoms of the capsules to be filled beneath the bores in the dosing disc. A plurality of transfer dies are provided for pushing pressed molds of the powder within the bores into the capsule bottoms.

United States Patent [191 Rebmann et al.

Nov. 25, 1975 Bischofi, Keltern; Theo Moser, Neckarrems, all of Germany [73] Assignee: Robert Bosch Verpackungsmaschinen G.m.b.H., Waiblingen, Germany 22 Filed: Apr. 30, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 465,495

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 2, 1973 Germany 2322028 [52] US. Cl 141/71; 141/258 [51] Int. Cl. 865B l/24 [58] Field of Search 141/242, 71, 12, 73, 80, 141/81, 146, 237, 258-262; 53/124 D;

3,780,490 11/1973 Schack et al. l4l/7l Primary ExaminerHouston S. Bell, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Edwin E. Greigg [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for filling gelatin capsules or the like is provided with a unified (single) closed unit. A powder dosing disc and a filling material container are combined within the unified closed unit. The filling material container is adapted to hold powder to be placed in the capsules. The powder dosing disc is cyclically rotatable and has a plurality of bores therein. A plurality of tamping dies are operatively arranged to press powder into the bores in the dosing disc. Means are provided for holding bottoms of the capsules to be filled beneath the bores in the dosing disc. A plurality of transfer dies are provided for pushing pressed molds of the powder within the bores into the capsule bottoms.

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,552,454 l/l97l Deming 141/71 U.S. Patent Nov. 25, 1975 3,921,681

APPARATUS FOR FILLING HARD GELATIN CAPSULES OR THE LIKE WITII POWDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an apparatus'for filling hard gelatin capsules or the like with powder with the aid of tamping dies. The invention relates, more particularly, to an apparatus for filling hard gelatin capsules or the like with powder, wherein the powder, located in a filling material container, is pressed with the aid of tamping dies into bores of a cyclically rotating dosing disc, and wherein subsequently the molds of powder, pressed in this manner within the bores, are pushed with the aid of transfer dies into capsule bottoms held in readiness beneath the bores in the dosing disc.

In a known apparatus for filling hard gelatin capsules or the like, the powder is directly placed into the capsule bottoms by means of tamping dies. An apparatus of this type is disclosed in German Pat. No. 1,174,244. In this particular known arrangement, the capsule bottoms are located in bores of a cyclically rotating disc on which there is located a filling material container which partially overlaps the disc and which includes individual chambers for receiving the powder. The tamping dies are located within the individual chambers. This prior art apparatus has a number of disadvantages inasmuch as the powder moves in the rotational direction of the disc during the cyclic rotation and accumulates at one wall of the filling material container. This results in an undesirable demixing of the powder and, furthermore, it is possible for part of the powder to escape through a gap formed necessarily between the side wall of the filling material container and the disc containing the capsules. In addition to the loss of powder, there is the further disadvantage that the dosing disc becomes soiled by the escaping powder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for filling gelatin capsules or the like with powder which does not undesirably accumulate, to any significant degree, on a wall of its filling material container during rotation of its dosing disc.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for filling gelatin capsules or the like which, during operation, substantially avoids undesirable demixing of the powder.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for filling gelatin capsules or the like which prevents escape of part of the powder between its filling material container'and disc.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for filling gelatin capsules or the like which avoids soiling of its dosing disc by escaping powder.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for filling gelatin capsules or the like with powder in which a more precise dosing and also a firmer tamping of the powder in the capsule bottoms is achieved than possible using the apparatus known from the above-mentioned German patent.

The foregoing objects, as well as others which are to become clear from the text below, are accomplished in accordance with the present invention by providing an apparatus for filling gelatin capsules or the like with powder which includes a filling material container for holding powder to be placed in the capsules. A cycli- 2 cally rotatable powder dosing disc having a plurality of bores therein is provided. A plurality of tamping dies are arranged to press powder into the bores of the dosing disc. Means are provided for holding bottoms of the capsules beneath the bores of the dosing disc. A plurality of transfer dies are arranged to aid in pushing pressed molds of the powder in the bores into capsule bottoms when in place in the means for holding. A unified (single) closed unit is provided, the dosing disc and the filling material container being combined within this closed unit.

In order to achieve the more precise dosing and also the firmer tamping, the known apparatus disclosed in the German Pat. No. 1,174,244 had been changed in such a manner that instead of tamping the powder in the capsule bottoms, the tamping of the powder occurs in the bores of the dosing disc. For this purpose, the bores are made in a size corresponding to the amount of powder to be filled and the capsule bottoms are held in readiness underneath the disc for insertion of the powder in pressed mold form.

At the basis of the present invention is the task of providing an apparatus for filling gelatin capsules with powder in which a demixing of the powder is largely avoided and virtually no powder can get lost or escape.

To solve this task, it is proposed according to the present invention, to combine the filling material container and the dosing disc in one closed unit. Suitably, the apparatus is so designed that the dosing disc is constituted by the bottom of the filling material container, which includes a shroud enclosing the dosing disc and a cover having apertures for the tamping dies and the transfer dies. Within the region of the transfer dies for the purpose of expelling the pressed molds, a distributor member is provided to strip the powder in that region from the dosing disc. This distributor member also serves for guidance of the transfer dies. The tamping dies can be adjusted in height and are desirably elastically mounted. Further provided is a centrally disposed delivery tube connected with the cover of the filling material container, and also a conveyor screw (helix) for delivering the powder supplied in dependence on the level of the powder on the dosing disc.

An apparatus of this type guarantees the careful placement of equal quantities of powder in the dosing chambers and for the transfer into the gelatin capsules, while avoiding loss of any significant portion of the powder. Soiling of the surrounding parts is also avoided, and the demixing of the powder is substantially prevented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view, partially in section, of an apparatus for filling gelatin capsules or the like with powder according to a preferred, illustrative example of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, also partially in section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the illustrative embodiment of an apparatus for filling gelatin capsules with powder includes a dosing disc 1 which has a plurality of bores 2 therein; these bores 2, for example, as can be seen especially in FIG. 2, are grouped together in groups of six. The dosing disc 1 contains a total of six such groups, three being visible in FIG. 2. Each group,

3 however, can equally well consist of twelve bores.

A shroud 3 and a cover 4 are provided to define structurally with the disc 1 a filling material container. The cover 4 has a number of apertures 5 which receive a number of tamping dies 6 and a corresponding number of transfer dies 7. A delivery tube 8, connected to the cover 4 and to which there is associated a conveyor screw (helix) 9 for the dosed supply of the powder, is

provided, The tamping dies 6 are elastically mounted and are adjustable by manual manipulation of associated setting members 10. A distribution member 11 is installed in the vicinity of the transfer dies 7. The distribution member 11 is operatively arranged to strip or to scrape the powder in the vicinity of the transfer dies 7 from the dosing disc 1 and simultaneously serves as a guide for guiding the transfer dies7.

Below the bores 2 in the dosing disc 1 and in the region of the tamping station, which, in the present exemplary embodiment, contains five groupsof six tamping dies 6, there is disposed a limiting plate 12 which closes the bores 2 in the downward direction. Within the region of the transfer station, which consists of six transfer dies 7, and below the bores 2 are located the capsule bottoms which receive the pressed molds. These capsule bottoms 13 are suitably located in bores of a disc 14 which also cyclically rotates.

The mode of operation of the apparatus is set forth in the paragraphs which follow.

The powder to be packaged is introduced, with the aid of the conveyor helix or screw 9 through the delivery tube 8 into the filling material container defined by the dosing disc 1, the shroud 3 and the cover 4. The delivery of the filling material occurs in dependence on the level of filling material already present on the dosing disc 1. For this purpose, known techniques and means (not shown for the purpose of clarity) are used.

The cyclic rotation of the dosing disc 1 and, therefore,

of the entire filling material container 1, 3, 4 results in an even distribution of the powder on the dosing disc 1. When the dosing disc 1 stops, the powder which has fallen into the bores 2 is compressed against the plate 12 by the tamping dies 6. This process displaces the air contained in the filling material so that homogeneous pressed molds of the powder are formed. In accordance with the number of tamping stations, the powder is compressed five times in each of the bores 2. The weight and the hardness of each pressed mold is influenced, firstly, by the level of the powder in the filling material container 1, 3, 4 and, secondly, by the maximum depth of insertion of the tamping dies 61into the bores 2 of the dosing disc 1, as well as by pressure compensation springs 15 associated, with the tamping dies 6. The adjustment and periodic regulation of the tamping dies .6 occur centrally for each station by manipulation of the setting members 10.

/ The distribution member 11, which also serves for the guiding of the transfer dies 7 within the region of the transfer station, has the task of keeping this region free of powder. After the pressed molds have been pushed into the capsule bottoms 13 by the transfer dies 7, the capsule bottoms 13 are combined with capsule tops in a known manner (not shown).

It is to be appreciated that the foregoing detailed description and accompanying drawing relate to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, which embodiment is set out by way of example and not by way of limitation. Numerous other embodiments and vari-,

ants are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention, the scope being defined in the appended claims.

That which is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for filling gelatin capsules or the like with powder comprising, in combination:

a. a filling material container means for holding powder to be placed in the capsules; p

b. a cyclically rotatable powder dosing disc having a plurality of bores therein; 7

c. a plurality of tamping dies operatively arranged to press powder into said plurality of bores in said dosing disc;

d. means for holding bottoms of the capsulesbeneath said bores of said dosing disc;

e. a plurality of transfer dies for pushing pressed molds of the powder in said bores into capsule bottoms when in place in said means for holding; and

f. a unified closed unit, said filling material container and said powder dosing disc being combined within said closed unit.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said dosing disc is constituted by the bottom of said filling material container, said container including. a shroud member enveloping said dosing disc and a cover mem* ber containing apertures for receiving said tamping dies and said transfer dies.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further including, within the vicinity of said transfer dies, a distribu-. tion member for expelling pressed molds and for strip ping powder in that vicinity from said dosing disc.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said, distribution member is constructed for guidance of said transfer dies.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said tamping dies are adjustable in height and are resiliently mounted.

6. An apparatus, according to claim 2, including a centrally disposed delivery tube for the purpose of delivery of the powder, communicating with said cover member of said filling material container, and a conveyor means associated with said delivery tube for delivering powder in dependence on the level of the powder on said dosing disc. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR FILLING GELATIN CAPSYLES OR THE LIKE WITH POWDER COCOMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A. A FILLING MATERIAL CONTAINER MEANS FOR HOLDING POWDER TO BE PLACED IN THE CAPSULES; B. A CYCLICALLY ROTATABLE POWDER DOSING DISC HAVING A PLURALITY OF BORES THEREIN; C. A PLURALITY OF TAMPING DIES OPERATIVELY ARRANGED TO PRESS POWDER INTO SAID PLURALITY OF BORES IN SAID DOSING DISC; D. MEAND FOR HOLDING BOTTOMS OF THE CAPSULES BENEATH SAID BORES OF SAID DOSING DISC; E. A PLURALITY OF TRANSFER DIES FOR PUSHING PRESSED MOLDS OF THE POWDER IN SAID BORES INTO CAPSULE BOTTOMS WHEN IN PLACE IN SAID MEANS FOR HOLDING; AND F. A UNIFIED CLOSED UNIT, SAID FILLING MATERIAL CONTAINER AND SAID POWDER DOSING DISC BEING COMBINED WITHIN SAID CLOSED UNIT.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said dosing disc is constituted by the bottom of said filling material container, said container including a shroud member enveloping said dosing disc and a cover member containing apertures for receiving said tamping dies and said transfer dies.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further including, within the vicinity of said transfer dies, a distribution member for expelling pressed molds and for stripping powder in that vicinity from said dosing disc.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said distribution member is constructed for guidance of said transfer dies.
 5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said tamping dies are adjustable in height and are resiliently mounted.
 6. An apparatus according to claim 2, including a centrally disposed delivery tube for the purpose of delivery of the powder, communicating with said cover member of said filling material container, and a conveyor means associated with said delivery tube for delivering powder in dependence on the level of the powder on said dosing disc. 